Dark Fates
by Jericho22
Summary: Many of your favorites, plus something new. Loosely based on Crisis Core. Warnings will be updated as the story unfolds. Sephiroth is a killer, after all....
1. Chapter 1 One Kind

**Disclaimer: Ashenair is my only creation. All else belongs to Square-Enix.**

**Warning: The rating is not a suggestion. Graphic violence, language, disturbing content etc. This will get dark, folks.**

**Chapter 1. One Kind**

Sephiroth.

A silver-haired god. The mako-infused demon. It doesn't matter, both are the same. We are the same. Unnatural. Ethereal. Monsters…

I am the second, born out of the eggs retrieved from Lucrecia's corpse and brought to life by Hojo in his lab. My existence was hidden from my brother, and his from me. For a long time, I thought I was unique. Only much later did I learn the secret truth.

I was not the only one.

I knew about Jenova. Hojo was not about to repeat past mistakes. I was called Ashenair. My ghostly appearance and silver hair lent me my name and made others wary. As a child, I quickly developed a strength that matched that of my adult captors. After breaking several bones while resisting countless painful injections, they implanted a port from which blood could be taken painlessly. I quickly found out that other things could be injected back in to my body this way. I fought back with all the strength I possessed; I was only 8 years old. Several of the laboratory researchers were killed, many more were hospitalized. Their blood gave my hair a reddish tinge that I refused to wash out for weeks. I had made my point.

Afterwards, Hojo explained in considerable detail what he was giving me; that it would be painful but would ultimately make me into the perfect weapon. What child knows to ask, "How will I be used?"

I was drunk on Jenova's power, and I grew stronger still. As a youth, I was given free reign of the lab and the surrounding barracks, through which I stalked with impunity. Hojo knew I could no longer be safely contained, and went to work on a solution that would keep me in line. In the meantime, he had but one rule – _do not kill Shinra staff_. After breaking that rule a few too many times, I was given Wutai prisoners to satisfy my killer's instinct. I relished the fear I saw in their eyes. I was created with a thirst for violence.

Hojo continued his experiments, to which I grudgingly surrendered. I was subjected to countless tests, many of which would have killed any SOLDIER. I survived, and thrived. Jenova's cells were too strong.

From an early age, I was schooled in the art of war. The sight of death had no hold on me. On the contrary, I took pleasure in it. As my abilities grew, I was promoted to SOLDIER training. Before entering the ranks, each new recruit had to prove he could wield materia. I was permitted by Hojo to watch the first few attempts from a nearby containment facility. Some barely survived. Others were consumed by whatever materia they chose, unable to withstand the powerful magic that coursed through their young bodies. A very few were able to control it, to weakly channel that energy into something greater than themselves. These few made it to SOLDIER.

"Your turn." Hojo's eyes glittered with anticipation. His eagerness had grown tiresome; I brusquely left him and headed for the start of the line.

A hush fell over the new recruits. I could hear them commenting on my long silver hair, and snickering to each other at my appearance. Hatred flared inside; I had had enough of being made an object of ridicule and fascination. A strange heat grew within my chest, and as I glared at those closest to me, the heat boiled up and out towards them. What happened next was nothing short of astonishing.

Several recruits were incinerated on the spot. Their bodies left nothing but tatters of blackened ash and a few smoldering bones as the only evidence of their existence. Others sustained lethal burns, and died later in hospital in screaming agony. I frowned. I had not yet reached the materia platform.

Hojo could not have been more pleased. He ran out of the nearest building, breathless.

"What materia was used?"

"None, Sir. None from this table, at least." The examiners were more than frightened; it was clear they wanted to get as far away from me as possible.

"Excellent. Come with me, Ash. You passed the test."

I was SOLDIER. At the unheard of age of 12, I had joined the ranks of the most powerful army on the Planet.


	2. Chapter 2 Secrets

**Disclaimer: Ashenair is my only creation. All else belongs to Square-Enix.**

**Warning: The rating is not a suggestion. Graphic violence, language, disturbing content etc. This will get dark, folks.**

**Chapter 2. Secrets**

The other Shinra staff feared me instinctively. After my first encounter with SOLDIER, I was avoided as much as possible. I was not allowed to join the other SOLDIERs-in-training at the barracks; I was considered to be too much of a threat. Instead, I was given my own private quarters, with round-the-clock staff who were rotated frequently. It was obvious I could not be trusted to keep any one of them alive for long. Hojo eventually concocted a sedative that would incapacitate me indefinitely if I tried to use the strange, fiery weapon inside.

As the months and years went by, several of my caretakers appeared to have more than a healthy dose of fear around me. Sometimes, I sensed outright hatred. For what, I couldn't understand; unless, of course, I had murdered someone close to them. I gathered this was entirely possible, except that Hojo was too smart for that. It took only one incident to uncover the truth.

Hojo could not keep my brother's existence a secret forever. By the time I was 15, Hojo was already an old man. He no could no longer make his staff cower from his merciless cruelty. Some of the researchers and technicians grew bold, or careless with his experiments. Once, a mutant Tonberry got loose and killed several people before it was ripped to pieces by a degrading Chitin, which turned into bloody jelly soon afterwards. Another time, someone "forgot" to lock the cage of a giant mutant throwback with a silver mane and a mouthful of fangs. I watched casually from the observation deck as it slaughtered everything in sight. Hojo's grip was starting to weaken.

One morning, one of Hojo's staff brought me my breakfast, as usual. I had never seen him before. I gave him a brief, disinterested glance acknowledgement. He tossed my plate on the floor. I looked up to see bitter hatred in his eyes.

"Experiments like you are the reason my family died." His voice was deathly quiet. I don't think he meant for me to hear his words, but he should have known better. In an instant, I had him by the throat. Hatred quickly turned to terror.

"Like me?" I was curious. I closed my fist slowly, feeling the tendons grind against bone. There was a flurry of movement behind the observation window; Hojo would arrive any minute. I didn't have much time.

"Let me go. I know nothing," he whispered in a strangled voice. His eyes could not conceal the lie, however.

"Tell me, and I'll let you live. Who came before me?" I could see how hard he struggled. He knew he would either die now by my hands for withholding the truth, or in slow agony from Hojo's cruel experiments for his honesty. Considering my fingers were crushing his trachea, he spoke the truth.

"There was another." He clawed at his throat, and the words poured out in ragged gasps. "He was killed by AVALANCHE, after destroying Wutai and Niebelheim. He later turned on the Shinra army, and killed the last of the Ancients." My eyes widened the tiniest bit. _Hojo, you bastard_. I loosened my grip slightly to allow the man to talk. His eyes were wild now.

"He summoned Meteor using the Black Materia, and tried to destroy the world. _You_ are no different, just another one of Hojo's monsters." He defiantly spat these last words into my face.

"His name." It was not a question. The man's eyes glazed over, yet he remained silent.

His stubborn refusal irritated me. I decided to do a little "experimentation" of my own. With a hand over his mouth, I went to work. I pulled out the delicate vessels, ripped apart muscle and snapped bones. I took my time. After a while, my victim lay dying, twisted and twitching in pools of his own blood. He tried to scream, but all that came was a whistling gurgle from what remained of his throat.

It was fascinating. I had his blood on my lips; the metallic saltiness stung my eyes. The entire room reeked of fresh meat. No one disturbed me. No one dared. Even Hojo looked on with calm satisfaction; the unused tranquilizer gun hung at his side. His researchers were frozen. All they could do was stare in horror. I lunged towards the heavy glass, which shuddered, but did not break. If I was a monster, I would act like one. All of them fled in terror. All except for Hojo; his gleeful smile did not touch the calculating coldness in his eyes.

**AN:** Just getting the first few chapters out of the way. The General will make his appearance, very shortly.


	3. Chapter 3 Upheaval

****

**Disclaimer: Ashenair is my only creation. All else belongs to Square-Enix.**

**Warning: The rating is not a suggestion. Graphic violence, language, disturbing content etc. This will get dark, folks.**

**Chapter 3. Upheaval**

After numerous attempts, Hojo's lab was finally destroyed by AVALANCHE the winter of my 20th year. Hojo himself died of his burns not long after - all the mako in the world could not save him. I did not mourn my father; I felt no need to. Grief and regret were no part of my emotional make-up.

For several years, by the direct order of the president's son, Rufus Shinra, I was held under such tight security that I hardly saw daylight. Most of the time, I was kept in a mako containment facility. Occasionally, I was needed to eradicate various threats to Shinra's interests; even then I was kept under absolute control with heavy doses of Hojo's sedative. I could not escape.

I remained a prisoner, until news of "The General" hit the news-vids. He was alive, whoever he was, and had captured the president's only son. Frightened whispers of a name reached my ears - _Sephiroth_. I had never heard of this name. People around me shook with terror.

Several of the laboratory staff were slaughtered the day he took over Shinra. I can't say I was sorry. Most of the lab was destroyed, even the power generators had been badly damaged; the floodlights flickered weakly. Shinra had been dealt a severe blow. Some begged me to flee, but what had I to fear? I had never known fear. Others pleaded with me to save them. In their desperation, they set me free. For their foolishness, I unleashed all of my predatory rage in glorious abandon, crushing their bones instead. I would take my own chances, and make my escape from Shinra.

I quickly donned a black robe and pulled up the hood to hide my skin and hair. Anonymity was essential at this point; it would make my escape that much easier. Stealing noiselessly amidst the dead and dying, I made my way through the bloodied halls like a ghost. I reached the eastern entrance; my body was alive with anticipation, and my nerves sang with the massacre I had just witnessed. The General obviously had a healthy appetite for blood and carnage. I happened upon a small platoon of intruders, armed to the teeth, swiftly securing the deep halls of Shinra's laboratories. I charged them in deadly silence. The first soldiers lasted only minutes before I tore them apart. Their eyes were open with shocked surprise as they died. It was as though they recognized me.

Suddenly, there was infinite sharpness between my shoulders. Smiling in the dark, I knew who stood behind me before I turned around. I did not realize what I was about to see.

Green eyes, long silver hair. I could scarce contain my astonishment. He was my mirror image, in the flesh. I had not known the touch of fear until this moment – for the first time I felt dreadful prickles dance along my spine. He held his sword tip at my throat, and tilted my chin up. The emerald mako in his eyes flashed in surprise. My hood had fallen back; loose strands of silver hair swirled and stuck to the streaks of blood on my face.

"A _female_….?" His voice was shocked, but deeper than any other I had ever heard.

He lowered his sword. We stood facing each other, nearly eye to eye. He was taller than I, but not by much. I could feel a strange energy between us, tickling the nerves along the surface of my skin. Up until now, I could have easily killed everyone I knew. The man who stood before me was invincible. I could see death in his eyes; he could kill me as easily as I had slaughtered his men. I didn't know it then, but I had no reason to fear the General.

For now.

He pushed the hair out of my face with a leather-clad hand. The light in his eyes was unreadable – he removed his gloves and held my shoulders with his bare hands. He searched my face in an effort to understand what he was seeing. _Another_, like himself. My own eyes were wide with wonder. My fear subsided; I was not alone. He was beautiful. Something else flared inside, a deep recognition of my own kind that was far stronger than fear.

"_Little sister_." He pulled me to him, and to freedom.

**AN:** Ding-dong, Hojo's dead. Debauchery involving a certain Shinra heir to come. Genesis "helps".


	4. Chapter 4 The Red General

**Disclaimer: Ashenair is my only creation. All else belongs to Square-Enix.**

**Warning: The rating is not a suggestion. ****Graphic violence, language, disturbing content etc. **

**Chapter 4 – The Red General**

Months passed. Midgar's citizens had grown accustomed to the Silver General's ruthless control. Sephiroth's oldest friends, Angeal and Genesis, returned from abroad after destroying what was left of the demons that had once again swarmed Nibelheim. Angeal had a wife and infant son who were killed in a related skirmish; it was rumored he had kept near their bodies for weeks, raving mad. He was long in recovering his sanity; as a result he wore a look of permanent sadness and grim resolve. He kept a respectful distance from me, and soon vanished in to the northern wastelands to battle the even stranger demons in his mind. All he left behind was his giant sword, in the hands of a young SOLDIER who was moving quickly through the ranks.

Genesis, on the other hand, was my brother's greatest lover. He was the General's only equal when it came to the deadly dance of lust and violence. He is also the only one with strength enough to survive my brother's attentions for long. They invariably sparred during sex; the sheer viciousness of their acts frequently left anyone who disturbed them dead or dying. Both required heavy infusions of mako to recover. They were titans, destroyers – Genesis, with his intense ferocity, was a perfect match to Sephiroth's cruel violence.

I had only glimpsed the Red General from a distance. He was aloof, unapproachable, and my brother seemed loathe to introduce us formally. His distant nature did not stop the legions of admirers, both men and women, from fighting to win his attentions. He carried an air of detached arrogance and predatory amusement that drove his followers mad. Unlike Sephiroth, Genesis preferred to let his sexual tensions build while he was away, only to unleash his pent-up fury on his lover's body with spectacular brutality when he returned. He did not seem to have the same need to lust and kill as my brother, as a general principle. At least while he was alone.

Genesis' only fault was his obsession with the famous dead poet, Loveless. He quoted Loveless in nearly all his conversations, with melodramatic gesticulations. I had never read Loveless, and felt no particular need to immerse myself in popular culture. Despite this, I stole in to his loft one night, with the intent of finding his favorite copy. I had no clear idea what I would do if I found it.

His quarters were austere almost to a fault. The only decoration was a massive abstract painting, which hung just above the fireplace. It contained various haphazard splashes and splatters of different colors of red paint. On closer inspection, I smelled blood. Some of it hadn't completely dried; there was a fly struggling feebly in the sticky mess. The Red General apparently had a twisted appreciation for art.

I moved silently to his room. There was a single bed under a large window that overlooked the vast, glowing expanse of Midgar. There was nothing else. Disappointed, I moved noiselessly towards the front door. I was not alone. Genesis possessed a deep grace and a ghostly stealth that rivaled the General's; his strong hand on my shoulder was the only hint he gave of his presence.

"Whatever are you doing, child? I trust you have a very good reason for being here, in my quarters?" He wore a look of amused curiosity, yet I could feel an underlying threat in his voice. His presence was as fearsome as the General's, made all the worse by the teasing, sadistic lilt of his voice. "You had only to ask for an invitation, and I would have opened my doors. Eagerly."

His blue eyes glowed with mako in the dim light. With cold arrogance; his gloved hand reached out once more, and he ran his fingers through my hair. I tensed. He moved closer, until the entire length of his body was only inches from my own. One strong arm snaked around my waist.

Genesis was dangerously beautiful. The perfection in his auburn hair and elegant features was surpassed only by his calculating intelligence – he did not even show surprise when the Masamune's sharp tip pressed between his shoulders. He smirked. Genesis knew just as well as I did who stood behind its razor length.

"Ash. Leave. Now." The General's voice was dead, emotionless. Genesis flashed him a demon's smile.

"I was only admiring your contemporary, Seph. Do you intend on keeping her all to yourself?"

Sephiroth snarled a warning; the mako in his eyes blazed. Laughing, Genesis released me. He turned towards my brother with his gloved hands held open. The long sword at his side shone a bright crimson. They stood face to face; the space between them quickly filled with hot menace. The tension teemed, and then broke with Sephiroth's sudden grin.

"Life is short, Genesis. Don't try making yours any shorter." He dropped his sword. "The Level 49 training room is free, as I ordered. I suggest we work this out in there."

"Make sure we don't get….interrupted this time, Seph. My personal assistant will be hard to replace."

"Anyone stupid enough to disturb us deserves to dangle their guts on the floor. You must admit, the casualties _do_ keep things interesting."

"Not quite as interesting as what you keep hiding from me, Sephiroth." Genesis turned a wolfish smile towards me. I shot him a distrustful glance, yet I could not deny the attraction.

"She is not for you, Genesis." The threat in his voice was deadly serious. "I will kill anyone who tries."

"How generous of you." Genesis waved a hand in sarcastic amusement. His lithe form, covered with black and crimson leather, sauntered towards the door.

The General turned towards me.

"You have no business here. There is a Wutai soldier in the holding cell. The Turks have already interrogated her, and she would rather die than talk. Give her what she wants, and do it _slow_." His green eyes began to glow with wild lust.

Sephiroth pulled Genesis towards him with force enough to break bone. He grimaced in pain, and then sank his teeth into my brother's neck. Blood was already flowing; I knew well enough to make my exit. The heat of their embrace would soon consume them both; enough to commit some of the cruelest, most violent sexual acts imaginable, and yet I lingered. To say I lusted after both of them at this moment was a disturbing understatement. Unnerved, I passed them through the door. Genesis caught me briefly with his terrible eyes.

"Until we meet again, little one. Stay out of trouble."

He was the only creature alive who could say such things to me and live.


	5. Chapter 5 Rufus Shinra

**Disclaimer: Ashenair is my only creation. All else belongs to Square-Enix.**

**Warning: The rating is not a suggestion. ****Graphic violence, language, disturbing content etc. **

**Chapter 5 – Rufus Shinra**

How far he had fallen. As the son of the former president Shinra, he had enjoyed a life of arrogant opulence; he even had the luxury of ordering around some of the most powerful beings on the Planet, namely Shinra's elite Generals. They were, after all, his father's creations. Even Sephiroth himself could not disobey him.

After his father's murder, Rufus tried to repair the damage that had been done. Meteor's launch had nearly leveled the city. With Sephiroth dead, the army was in disarray, and Midgar was in shambles. He rebuilt, and picked up where his father left off. He gave that insane devil Hojo the go-ahead to create another of Jenova's mutations in utero, using newer technology that did not require an actual pregnancy. Hojo was given strict orders to engineer a certain amount of obedience into the host DNA, in order to maintain control. Hojo instead decided to breed a female, with all of Sephiroth's capabilities. He presented his research to the board, stating several times that females tended to be more docile than the average male. His explanations were so convincing that Rufus allowed him to continue. He had even given her a name – Ashenair. It was one word the ancient Cetra race had used for "hope". In another dialect, it meant "resurrection". Hindsight was always 20/20.

There had always been rumors that Sephiroth had not been killed, and that Genesis roamed the western wastelands. He was sure he had caught sight of Angeal, once, in the Northern provinces. Their not-quite-insubstantial ghosts haunted him. As the years passed, it became clear that Genesis had indeed survived, and had somehow reversed the degradation. Rufus knew there was only one way to accomplish that, and the implications were severe.

Somehow, word had gotten out to Genesis of Ashenair's existence. Rufus kept her under even tighter guard; she was monitored by the Turks at all times. The news of her that came back to him was beyond disturbing. She had ruthlessly killed several Shinra staff, and had to be kept sated with Wutai spies. Hojo's secrets infuriated him. After his death, he ordered her permanently contained. He should never have allowed such a dangerous creature, woman or not, to survive. He had been in the process of writing the orders for her immediate termination when Shinra was attacked.

At first, he thought AVALANCHE had been up to their terrorist antics again. He was quickly disabused of this notion, when he caught a glimpse of silver hair on the security cameras. Subduing his initial terror, he ordered a full assault. Shinra's army was no match for the great General. He slaughtered everyone who got in his way. He had somehow found Ashenair; seeing those two together struck a chord of fear in Rufus' heart. He never forgot the cold look of indifference she gave him when Sephiroth had him dragged to his prison in chains. Rufus was still, in effect, the President of the Shinra Coorporation; his captors made it known that he continued as the de-facto head, from the upper levels of the building's core.

How they lied.

Rufus Shinra currently resided in a tiny room, more of a cell, on the highest floor of the massive building his father built as a symbol of his vast empire. He was frequently bound, beaten and starved by his captors. Sephiroth had not been kind enough to kill him outright. Yet.

After several days of isolation, the door to his small room opened. A tall man, silhouetted in shadow but for the light that shimmered through his red hair, stood in the doorway.

"Genesis." The president's voice was harsh from disuse.

"How nice of you to remember me, Shinra." His leather outfit creaked softly as he kneeled to eye-level.

"What more….do you want?"

Genesis grinned. "Oh, only your coorporation, your power, and your life. All of your dignity would add some flavor, too." His leather-gloved hand caressed the too-sharp line of Rufus' jaw. The ex-president's only son snapped his head back in revulsion.

"Come now, no need for that. You're about to taste something never before experienced by the ordinary human race. Only the greatest of luxuries for Shinra's heir." The taunting smile widened. His head tilted towards another, taller figure in the doorway. Rufus started to shake. The long silver hair and glowing green eyes were enough to prompt a sudden loss of control of his bodily functions.

"Both of us, at the same time. How lucky for you." Genesis threw him a look of pure evil.

"No. Kill me first." Rufus lowered his eyes, knowing death was close.

"He would rather die? Do you know how many Midgar citizens would _kill_ for this opportunity? The mind quails at the thought!" Genesis' melodrama was getting more dangerous by the second. "Don't worry; you'll get your wish. In due time." Genesis actually giggled; Rufus Shinra had never heard such an awful sound from the Red General.

"How do you want to take him, Genesis?" The deep voice above was colder than ice.

Rufus shook uncontrollably. He knew how ruthlessly Sephiroth handled his lovers. He had also briefly witnessed what these two monsters called sex, over one of the holo-vids, before it was obliterated during one of their late night "training sessions". He would be lucky if he remained recognizable, let alone breathing, after they were through.

"Take him? I'll leave that up to you, General." Genesis gave him a short, mocking salute.

"Which half?" The fierce glow from the General's eyes were like windows to hell.

Rufus cowered in a corner. The walls to his cell could not contain his screams as the door slammed shut.


End file.
